Itchy flaky scalp- maybe even psoriasis? Shampoo please!

[GnarlyOldGoatDude]

My poor scalp has always had a tendency to be flaky but it's awful at the moment. I suspect it may be psoriatic as I feel plaque like bits on the skin- can anyone recommend a shampoo that could help please? I've been trying the orange L'Oreal men's Elvive for months after seeing it recommended on MN, but it just hasn't shifted the problem.

Thank you

Me too - body shop ginger shampoo. It's amazing!

Been using T-Gel for years for my psoriasis, but might try the Body Shop one after reading this thread as I love their stuff anyway. Thanks all!

The oiliness underneath sounds like seb derm ..... you'll need to get GP to confirm which it is. If it's seb derm then it's really a matter of setting what works for you. Nizoral etc was not that great for me, alpacin dandruff/a selenium shampoo keeps it at bay for me.... Good luck

Oilatum shampoo (the flaky scalp one not the baby one) or nizoral are the only ones that fix mine. I use a small bottle up and then I use really cheap Alberto balsam tea tree shampoo keeps it away for several months. Everurbjng else I've tried, be it organic and extortionate or head and shoulders it comes back much more quickly. The nizoral bottle says to use it as a treatment for a few weeks and then once it's gone do a regular wash to keep it at bay which is probably the most sensible advice but I never buy any until it gets quite bad because I find it hard to bring myself to pay so much for the tiny bottles!

Will definitely try the ginger body shop one inbetween after reading this.

Just wanted to add, I used to use the t-gel shampoos which worked when I was younger but for some reason stopped working several years ago. That is what the GP prescribed so I was all out of ideas until a friend suggested oilatum which cleared it up after a couple of washes, and I've since discovered nizoral to be as effective. So I think those two must be better than the T-Gel or maybe it depends on the type of skin condition.

Oh that's interesting Shemozzle - I've found recently that T-gel is not working as well as it has done in the past. I wondered if I'd used it too much so was sort of 'immune' to it.

I'm on a really potent steroid shampoo at the moment and even that isn't shifting it. It's a bastard.

Wow thanks everyone- not been able to check thread all day. Loads of suggestions. I might have to bite the bullet and see GP. It seems a bit trivial to use up an appoinymrnt, I usually only go for life and limb! but my head is sooooo itchy and scaly.

*appointment argh

Should have said, I tried the Lush bar last year and it didn't help, also left lots of little bits in my hair. I've also tried going sulphate free as I'm curly, but ended up with hair like straw!

Sounds like body shop, Nizoral, Polytar and PK all worth a try.

And will try and see a GP! Can't see my own scalp obviously, but it just feels bumpy and scaly all over, and it's so hard not to pick at it and make it sore

Ouch, you have my sympathy. If gp can't help, try a trichologist maybe. I think you need the exact right shampoo for the condition. Philip Kingsley is the only one that works for me and I think I've tried everything in the last 20 years!
PK website is v helpful too, even if you don't end up using their stuff.

Polytar worked for years then stopped working, now I use Ceanel (originally prescribed but now I buy online).

Philip Kingsley did work for me for a while, bit then it got worse again.

I tried loads of different sulphate free shampoos, even resorted to rubbing dibropase on my scalp (it was an attractive look!), the only thing that worked for me was the moo goo shampoo, conditioner and scalp cream.

I had psoriasis on my scalp and weeping eczema patches behind my ears and starting to come onto my face. Since using the Moo Goo (about 2 years) it's all cleared up and I haven't had to use a steroid cream.

They smell fab too, like the old school milk bottle sweeties!

Betnovate if I put it on at night and shower in the morning ( I use baby shampoo) does clear my scalp but only lasts for a few hours. By the time about 5-6pm comes around it is starting to crust up.
I used to use it regularly years ago then gave up.

Only thing that worked in found was going dairy and wheat free but the restrictions on my diet because I also don't eat meat was really tough.

Fell off my diet big time a few months ago and ended up at the doctors
it had gone all down my back my neck face and in my hair. prescribed hydrocortisone and Betnovate and have been smothering myself every night looking akin to the Singing Detective.

It is going but can't eat dairy and wheat again

Thanks so much for your suggestions. I'm sorry that so many of us have this problem!

So many different things to try- going to be pricey

I alternate between TGel, Dead Sea Magic Spa, and other SLS etc free ones. And an antihistamine when it's bad!

You should really see your GP before you start bombarding your poor scalp with different things. You need a diagnosis of seborrhoeic dermatitis/psoriasis/excema/something else, before you start chucking harsh shampoos on there.

My daughter has seb derm, and at first we tried coconut oil, before discovering she's allergic to it. She's been prescribed Nizoral and T-gel, neither of which worked. She's now prescribed Dermovate liquid which works brilliantly for her. She also uses SLS free shampoo and SLS and silicone free conditioner, as she has curly hair, and these definitely help.

It's also important not to wash hair too often, as stripping the moisture with harsh chemicals has the dual effect of making the scalp dry and also encouraging it to produce more grease.

I was going to tell you about Body Shop ginger but see I've been beaten to it!

Will mention that the Banana conditioner also makes my ends soft and still smells as amazing as when I was 13

Just to say that about 15% of the population are allergic to a chemical found in a lot of shampoos and other cosmetics.

It's it absolutely loads of shampoos and it's Methylisothiazolinone

I am super allergic to it. Causes itchy scalp in mild cases and really bad reaction on your face and feet etc in worst

Thank you- some really helpful suggestions here. I've had it to a milder degree for at least 20 years, always in particular areas of my scalp. But something has made it all over now. Hadn't even occurred to me it might be a "proper" condition IYSWIM. I don't have eczema and I'm not an atopic person generally, but do have some very dry patches on my ankles and wondered if it could all tie in.

I'll rein in my spending until I see my GP

I agree: get a medical diagnosis before you buy anything else. A lot of the anti-dandruff shampoos contain an anti-fungal, which won't do anything for psoriasis, and are also quite drying, which can make psoriasis symptoms worse. Then because skin injury can trigger psoriasis outbreaks, you end up in a vicious circle of worsening skin.

It's also possible to have both seborrheic dermatitis and psoriasis, which would need a different treatment regime again.

Thank you- do they look quite different then? Can GPs generally tell? Or is it trial and error?

I have v bad eczema, and decided a while back just to stop using shampoo, granted being a man I guess I have less hair to worry about! I am phobic about appearing unkempt, and promise my head is not a greasy stinking mess, plus no itching 😀

Unfortunately, in my experience GPs aren't very good at skin stuff, and tend to prescribe on a trial and error basis, but it does depend on who you see, and what their experience is. I saw four GPs who tried all sorts of things and didn't get anywhere. The fifth was a locum who took one look, said: 'oh yeah, that's psoriasis,' and gave me a prescription for Dovonex which started working in 24 hours.

However, tell them what you've been using - which is another good reason not to swap around before seeing them - because if what you're using is an anti-fungal (Elvive) and you've been using it for months, and getting worse - that's one option they can eliminate straight away.

Try Apple cider vinegar!